Going back to the future

Share via

Vodafone’s acquisition of Mannesmann in 2000 for £101 billion was notable for
setting a record price for a takeover. It was also the deal that brought its
future chief executive into the fold, since Italy’s Omnitel, then run by
Vittorio Colao, was majority-owned by the German company at the time.

Thirteen years later and Vodafone is circling another large German business,
but this time with Mr Colao at the helm. It has long denied any interest in
Kabel Deutschland Holding, Germany’s largest cable TV company and broadband
business, but reports have emerged that it is now ready to pounce. Analysts